From: "Beverly French" <frenchb@vcss.k12.ca.us>
To: "Heritage" <gheritage.ga@verizon.net>
Subject: Blessings to All
Date: Sunday, March 23, 2003 7:22 AM

These last few days have caused us to focus our attention on the Lord;
trusting in Him to lead and guide our leaders and to protect our troops.
How thankful we are that God is in control.  So we pray,
"...Thy will be done,
 On earth as it is in heaven."  Matthew 6:10

To desire God's will to be done is to yield our will to His.  Often we sing:
"Not my will but Thine be done,
 That the fullness of the Son
 May dwell within this life that I have offered You,
 Until everything I do is the thing that pleases You,
 Abba Father, I will be a son indeed."

As to submission to the Divine Will we see in Scripture:
Jesus praying to the Father in Matthew 26:39, "And He (Jesus) went a little
beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it is
possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt.'"

Mary speaking to the angel Gabriel in Luke 1:38. "And Mary said, 'Behold,
the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.'"

Romans 6:13, "...Yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the
dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."

James 4:7, "Submit therefore to God,  Resist the devil and he will flee from
you."

Submission to the Divine Will:
Is the result of inward Law,
"I delight to do Thy will, O my God;
 Thy Law is within my heart."  Psalm 40:8

Prayer is essential in submission:
"Teach me to do Thy will,
 For Thou art my God;
 Let Thy good Spirit lead me on level ground."  Psalm 143:10

Divine submission establishes a divine relationship:
"For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother
and sister and mother."  Matthew 12:50

Christ is the perfect example of divine submission: "I can do nothing on My
own initiative.  As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do
not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.'"  John 5:30

Divine submission leads to spiritual knowledge:
"Jesus therefore answered them, and said, 'My teaching is not Mine, but His
who sent Me.  If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the
teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself."  John 7:
16-17

Wholeheartedness is required:
"...Be obedient...not by way of eye service, as men-pleasers, but as slaves
of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart."  Ephesians 6: 5-6

Divine submission is a rule of life:
"And the world is passing away, and also its lusts, but the one who does
the will of God abides forever."  1 John 2:17

So we hold fast to the truth of Proverbs 3: 5-6,
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
 And do not lean on your own understanding.
 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
 And He will make your paths straight."

So I close with this assurance:
"When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord,
 He makes even his enemies to be a peace with him."  Proverbs 16:7

Continue to pray for our President, who daily seeks God's guidance and
for all those in position of leadership.  How thankful we are that our God
involves Himself in the interests of man.  We thank Christ Jesus for His
mighty work on man's behalf that we can call Almighty God, 'Abba Father'!
Glory and honor to Him.  Amen.